To template or not to template

[ryliesmom]

I love my templates! I use them 99% of the time. Saves me much time in scrapping to already know how the basics are going to be laid out. Then I can concentrate on making the page mine.

 

[ZaCola3]

I.love.templates. Period...I buy them-I use them...A LOT-they make my scrapping so much more enjoyable.
In my mind template designing must be much harder than kit designing...I mean all those templates must take so much creativity...I'm in awe of amazing template designers...

 

[ayaandjudah]

I use templates most of the time. I do it because it saves me the stress of cutting papers. I stink at that. Sometimes I completely delete the elements on a template and just use the paper and photos and then add elements as I like. S ometimes I spin templates, sometimes I shrink or enlarge. Sometimes I erase half or even combine two templates.

I love them.

 

[disneyaddict]

I love using templates and often resize or rework them to fit my style. I find they inspire me to use more photos or create more pages when I am short on time. I don't think they are cheating - I think I am still creating layouts that have my family's memories....which is what we all do in the end.

This is me. I also have some files that have parts of templates, so if none of the templates are working for my pictures and journaling (so many don't have enough space for journaling and the size photos I like to use) I can piece together my own. I have folders for rounded rectangles, waves, etc.

 

[breakingbrie]

Just wondering... those of you who are 100% template users (or close), did you digiscrap before templates were available? When I first started there weren't templates but I'm old so I am wondering about the rest of you. If so, when did you decide that it was 'okay' to use them? Right away, or was there something that drew you towards them?

I never felt it was 'okay' to use a template until I realized I just didn't have time to scrap without using them, at least part of the time.

I used to scrap a lot without templates. But, a few years ago, I also CTed for 2 different template designers. I started reeeaaally getting into them lately, templates have changed a bit since I started scrapping of course, as styles and trends change. I totally love them now. I just totally lost my mojo in a bad way lol, and using templates means I can still scrap, instead of sitting in front of an unfinished lo for hours on end because nothing comes to me.

 

[Sherri Tierney]

There weren't templates when I began scrapping either and I did scrap regularly back then. I picked up a few templates here and there but didn't really start using them regularly until 2010 and began using them more and more. I use templates nearly 100% of the time now. I know I can make page without a template but I just don't want too LOL. It was Cindy's templates that really got me into using templates and my gallery reflects that pretty well LOL. Pretty much every page is with one of her templates !

Remember back when we had 'sketch' challenges instead of templates? I think we've been digiscrapping about as long.

I scrapped before templates were available, but back then I used sketches, scraplifted, and found other sources of inspiration (like all the magazine ad challenges sites used to do). I didn't use them at first because all the directions were for PS and PSE, and I scrapped with another program. When I finally found instructions for using templates in Photo Impact (quite a pain to do, BTW), I started and never looked back. I don't know how long ago that was, but I know I was buying Bree Clarkson's templates way back before she moved to SSD.

Yep, sketches, scraplifts, etc. I remember scouring galleries for pages to lift or looking for sites with sketches on it (pulling them from magazines, etc.)

I used to scrap a lot without templates. But, a few years ago, I also CTed for 2 different template designers. I started reeeaaally getting into them lately, templates have changed a bit since I started scrapping of course, as styles and trends change. I totally love them now. I just totally lost my mojo in a bad way lol, and using templates means I can still scrap, instead of sitting in front of an unfinished lo for hours on end because nothing comes to me.

I find when I scrap without templates I end up with a lot of layouts that look pretty similar. This isn't bad and I doubt anyone would notice but I get bored with it after a while. I hear you on the loss of mojo.

My first real experience with templates was CTing for someone who started adding templates to their product line. At first I just used them because I had to but then I started getting a few more here and there. I used them ALL wrong at first. I mean, it worked, but it took me twice as long as it should have. I didn't clip my pictures to the photo spot, for example, I resized, twisted, moved, and placed my photo behind the photo spot. Then I selected the area around it on the template layer, went to my photo layer and hit delete. Took a lot longer than CTRL, ALT, G